When Destiny Sings
by GoddessApostle
Summary: There's a destiny for everyone. Some people have multiple paths. Some only have one. Some will achieve nothing. Others will accomplish great things, still more will doom the world around them. It all begins when one akuma attacks Marinette...
1. Chapter 1

Everyone's had a crush on her.

 _Everyone_.

It made sense, of course. She was selfless but not a pushover, always there but not overbearing, kind but had a mean streak where certain people ( _Chloé_ , thought Adrien as he coughed) were concerned. Not to mention brave and smart and funny and cute and... Adrien shook his head, clearing all thoughts of Marinette from his mind.

Ok, so he _might_ have been getting closer and closer to her. He _might_ have been noticing her little quirks more and more. He _might_ have memorized the placement of every freckle that dotted her face. He _might_ have even developed a (small) (tiny) (insignificant, really) (just a passing phase, surely) crush on her since they started getting closer to each other.

 _Might have_ , he reminded himself, _but that's okay, she's amazing and fun and... Who is that?_ He glared as yet another boy approached her, followed by several people he had to have hired. He stood in front of Marinette, no doubt to ask her to the party Mayor Bourgeois was having for Chloé's birthday.

 _And_ that's _okay_ , Adrien thought, _she's already told me she wants to go with someone else. She'll let him down in the kindest, nicest way possible- no, wait, he's making a big deal of it._

Had he _really_ hired someone to play Spanish guitar in the background? (He had. _How cliché,_ thought Adrien.)

Is he _really_ kneeling on one knee in front of her? (He is. _Does he think he's proposing marriage?_ )

Did he _really_ have three people present the ugliest, gaudiest dress fashion had ever seen? (He did, and Adrien couldn't help but laugh as Marinette's face scrunched into a disgusted expression.)

"Oh, Marinette!" Was he _really_ shouting to be heard across the courtyard? "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the gala next week?" He was. And Adrien knew what he was hoping to accomplish with all this pomp and circumstance. He wanted to force Marinette into saying yes.

Adrien's blood boiled at the thought. He almost walked over to interrupt them. But Marinette - strong, brave Marinette - sat up straight, looked the boy in the eye with a glare that could melt metal, and, in a voice so cold and clear it made Adrien shiver from twenty feet away, told him off.

"I know what you're doing," she said. "You're asking me here, in public, in front of all these people, to be your date at the dance. You did this in front of all these witnesses so that I would feel pressured into saying yes. You also made a big deal of it with..." She gestured to the guitarist, the dress, him on the ground, "... _this_ to make me feel like I have to say yes. And if I don't, that makes _me_ the bad one because it makes me look like I don't care that you lost time, money, and energy on me. This is an incredibly manipulative tactic, one you've probably used before. I won't let you bully me into a date with you. No." She turned back to Alya (who looked appropriately smug) and flipped through her sketchbook, not paying the boy anymore attention. Adrien's heart beat wildly.

Holy _hell_ he was head over heels in love.

And he thought _Ladybug_ was the only one who could make him feel like this.

The boy - an upperclassmen by the name of Bruce, if Adrien remembered correctly - stood, looked around at all the people watching, and stormed off, knocking his followers to the ground. Adrien wondered briefly how it felt to be called out like that, but shrugged it off. It must have felt horrible, but that's what anyone like that deserves. Smiling, he and Nino walked to the bench Marinette and Alya shared. Nino slid in next to Alya while Adrien leaned against the wall beside Marinette.

"That was amazing, dude!" Nino said as he reached over Alya to tap Marinette in the shoulder. She looked up and smiled.

"It was nothing."

"It was something, alright." Adrien spoke up. "People like him need to be put in their place." Marinette smiled softly, a blush spread across her cheeks. "What are you working on?"

"Oh! I've been designing some dresses for the party. It's got a semi-formal dress code, right?" She flipped through her sketchbook, showing them her ideas. Adrien stopped her when he saw one that piqued his interest.

"Wait, what's this one?" He pointed to a dark dress suit with silver embellishments on the ends of the sleeves and legs.

"It's just another design I made. I thought..." Her eyes shifted to look at him and then fell back to her sketch. "I want to make it, but I don't know who would wear it."  
"What about me? I could wear it!" he offered.

"Oh, I don't know. I kind of designed it to... To m-match the d-dress I made for m-m-me."

"So you designed it for your date?" He schooled his expression into one of polite interest, but inside he wilted a bit.

"I- uh, yes."

"What if _I'm_ your date?" It was only after he asked that he remembered she was going to ask someone later that day. "I-I mean, if-"

" _Yes!_ " she exclaimed, overflowing with enthusiasm. She flushed at her outburst and repeated in a calmer manner, "Yes, I-I would like for you to be my date. _If you don't mind, of course!_ " She rushed the last bit out in a whoosh of air.

"Of course I don't. I would love it!" He smiled at her and she gave him a goofy grin in return, at least until Alya slid over to touch her shoulder to Marinette's. With a sly smirk, she spoke said something very reasonable.

"Won't you need to take his measurements?"

* * *

It was the night of the party, and despite being invited over multiple times for measurings and fittings, Adrien still hadn't seen the dress Marinette was going to wear. It was Alya's idea to wait until they left to see it. 'It would make a stronger impression that way,' she'd said. And _boy_ , was she right.

Adrien felt his mouth drop open when she walked down the stairs to her attic room. His eyes scanned her from top to bottom, then back again. Several times. Nino had to nudge him to get him to stop, and he was grateful her attention was on Alya behind her.

But she looked _beautiful_.

The dress was a dark gray in color, with a tight bodice that gave way to the fluffy layers of the skirt that ended at her knees. The skirt was ruffled, made of a dark but sheer material folded over itself in four layers, and between the folds he could make out glimmering confetti. Stars and moons, embroidered in silver to match the ones that circled his own wrists and ankles, floated from the waist all the way up to the neck. They collected along the seam, where skirt met bodice, and thinned asymmetrically as they went up, until only one shone on the left side of the Queen Anne neckline. The sleeves fell around her bare shoulders, meeting again at her elbow in bunched frills. White lace gloves and black strappy heels completed the ensemble.

But the beauty of the dress paled in comparison to the beauty of Marinette. Her hair was free from her usual pigtails, twisting and curling in waves across her shoulders, the tips spray-dyed silver to match the dress. Her makeup was subtle, nothing more than a new tint to her cheeks and rosy lips, with a touch of glitter at the corner of her eyes. Eyes that sparkled with laughter when she saw him standing there, wonder-struck.

She looked ethereal. Like an angel. Like she would sprout wings and fly away at any moment. Adrien felt the urge to pinch himself just to make sure he wasn't caught in a dream.

Instead, he cracked a wide smile and held out his arm, offering her a "Breathtaking, Marinette."

"Thank you," Marinette giggled as she took his elbow. "You're not so bad, yourself."

"I have the bet designer in Paris to thank for that." He winked at her, knowing she outclassed him in terms of finery. He wore a simple dress suit, though he knew she must have put her all into making it. His shirt was white, his vest black, his jacket and pants the same gray as her dress. Stars ringed the cuffs of the jacket and hem of the pants, reaching up to peak on his elbows and at the back of his knees. He also had inner pockets in which to store anything he might need - from phones, to pens, or even one gluttonous kwami and his stinky cheese. He'd also slicked back his hair, save for one or two strands that just wouldn't stay put. Marinette had flicked them when she first saw them, calling them his antenna.

The coolest thing about his outfit couldn't be seen, though, which was a shame in his opinion. Marinette had stitched the twelve constellations of the Zodiac onto the back of the vest. Small silver buttons acted as starts, with silver stitches connecting them. It was so much detail to add to something that would be hidden by his jacket.

She didn't care about that. After all, she'd made a shoulder bag - much like the one she wore every day - with the same design, using beads as stars.

"They've got it bad for each other, huh?" Both Marinette and Adrien jumped at Nino's teasing.

"I don't know. I thought your boy only had eyes for Ladybug." Alya teased back.

"Your girl is just that much of a temptress." He punched her in the shoulder, a playful gesture that she immediately returned with a chuckle. They both looked at the other two, beaming at the way their faces had flushed.

If Marinette and Adrien were the sky at night, Alya and Nino were when the sun set and rose. Marinette hadn't made their outfits - she hadn't had the time - but thy were beautiful nonetheless. Alya wore a floor-length gown that started deep purple at the top, but faded to a cotton-candy pink at the bottom. The sleeves hung off her shoulders, and the back of the bodice was nothing but lace. She'd put her hair up in a bun for the night, the orange ends peeking out from beneath it. Nino's outfit did much the same as Alya's in terms of color - a red-orange at the top that gradually changed into a peachy pink. His shirt underneath the jacket matched the pink at the bottom of his pants, and he'd decided against a vest.

Sabine called them for a picture, and what a stunning one they made. Alya and Nino took the ends, squishing Marinette and Adrien together. At the last second, right before the shutter clicked, Alya bumped Marinette into Adrien's arms. The final image was of a smirking Alya and a laughing Nino on either side, with a flustered Marinette hanging from Adrien's surprised embrace. They were looking into each other's eyes in shock, but a smile tugged at their lips anyway, and the next few shots Sabine snapped were of the four of them laughing hysterically.

The pictures were treasured by all for years to come.

* * *

The party took place in none other than the Grand Paris Hotel's ballroom. It was an extravagant place, filled to bursting with dancers and musicians and other assorted workers and partygoers. They milled about, talking in groups and sitting at tables and dancing wildly throughout the room.

Which was _huge_. It was amazing to see it so lively. Were there even that many people _in_ Paris? A stage was set up at one end, with an entire orchestra playing a smooth melody. A row of buffet tables lined one wall, and there were tables arranged in one corner as a dining area. In the opposite corner were plush chairs and sofas for people who wanted to relax in luxury. A series of balconies ringed the room, accessible by hidden stairwells.

Marinette walked in as Alya and Nino rushed into the throng of people, taking everything in. She was speechless. She was in awe. She was surprised she'd received an invitation. She had been expecting Chloé to skip over her when she handed them out to the class. But she supposed Chloé decided to take the opportunity to flaunt her wealth in her rival's face. That, plus her status, made her feel entitled to anything.

As was evident when she flounced over to Adrien in her golden gown and threw her arms on his shoulders. She asked for a dance and tried for a kiss, but was pushed away.

"I'm sorry, Chloé. But I already have a date tonight." He took Marinette's shoulders. "It's not fair to steal my first dance."

Chloé snorted. "You want to dance with _her_? Even more, you're her _date?_ Come now, Adrien. Someone of your status deserves someone of mine! She's better suited for one of the kitchen workers, anyway. Or some other part of the help, you know?"

Marinette's face reddened, anger washing through her. She could see Adrien was feeling the same way. He stepped back, pulling her with him. "If anyone needs help around here, it's _you_." He said before she could get a word out.

Chloé hissed something in response, but it was drowned out in the music that picked up then. Adrien whisked Marinette to the dance floor and started to sway them back and forth to the beat.

"Sorry about that," he said into her ear.

"It's okay," she said back. "I know how she is."

"She didn't used to be like this, though. We used to be really close, but then she changed."

"Are you talking about Miss Bourgeois?" Adrien jumped and Marinette squeaked, butting her head against his chin in surprise. She twirled to find Gabriel Agreste standing behind her. His eyes swept up and down her dress, then Adrien's suit. "That's not what I gave Nathalie for you to wear."

"I didn't want to wear it, Father," he said casually, but Marinette could sense his tension. "Marinette made this for me. To match her dress, since she's my date."

It was Marinette's turn to tense as Gabriel inspected her again. "Miss Dupain-Cheng. I remember you from the hat competition."

"Yes! I was so happy when you declare me the winner. Thank you, for that, Mr. Agreste."

He raised an eyebrow. "It appears you make more than hats."

"I want to be a fashion designer when I'm older, sir."

"Perhaps you can get a start by modeling. I used to do it in my younger days, before I started designing. Plus, some experience from their side can really help in the future. I can arrange for a few photo shoots with Adrien, if you wish."

"Father?" Adrien asked in surprise. This was certainly a side he had never seen before - or, had never seen often. Then he noticed the empty champagne glass in his hands and the server holding a tray filled with more - both full and empty - hovering nearby.

"Mr. Agreste?"

"You have talent, Miss Dupain-Cheng. It would be a shame to see it wasted. As for you, Adrien." He stiffened at his name. "You should dance with Miss Bourgeois at least once. She has a powerful father and would be more than willing to sic him on your date." With that he walked away, the server Adrien noticed following at a distance.

"Talking with your dad is stressful, huh?"

"It's something. But he has a point. I should probably go apologize to Chloé." Her face fell, worry filling her features. He brushed her hair away from her face. "Don't worry. One quick dance and she'll be pleased. Besides, drunk or not, I'm holding my father to his promise of a photo shoot with you." He melted into the crowd with a wink, leaving Marinette stunned by his words.

A chance to model? With _Adrien?_ The idea made her giddy, a smile splitting her lips. So caught up in her glee, she never noticed the presence that had been silently watching her. She jumped when an arm slid across her shoulders and a smooth voice whispered in her ear.

"Date abandon you, Princess?" But the endearment fell from the wrong lips, making Marinette shiver as she pushed the arm away.

"Don't call me that," she said to Bruce.

"Come now, Princess! You're the belle of the ball! I can't believe someone could just _walk away_ from you like that!"

"And I'm _obviously_ heartbroken about it, aren't I?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice even as a warm feeling - caused by the fact that Adrien wanted to model with her - filled her with joy.

"Well you _had_ to have been heartbroken since you didn't get me as a date. We can fix that now, though." He winked and held a hand out.

It made Marinette scoff. " _I'm_ sad that I'm not _your_ date? In case you forgot, I turned _you_ down, and that hasn't changed."

"Oh, Princess-"

"Quit calling me that!" she yelled, not caring who heard. With a flip of her hair, she walked away, only to be yanked back. Bruce's hand was on her wrist, squeezing tight as he pulled her into his arms.

"Dance with me," he growled, "or I'll do something you'll regret." His hands tightened in a threat, and his eyes slid over her body in a slimy way, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips.

It was at that moment she jammed the palm of her free hand into the bottom of his chin. He hopped back holding his tongue.

"Shit! What the _hell?_ " He glared at Marinette, who took his distraction to duck into a ring of people. He marched after her and put a large hand on her shoulder. He twisted her around, surprised at the fist in his face the second he did so. She pushed his hand off her as he stepped back by the force of her blow.

This time, she sprinted, losing him in the sea of people.

* * *

Adrien was just bowing to Chloé at the end of their dance when the lights flashed.

"Ah! That's my cue!" She tried for a final kiss from Adrien, but ran off with a disgruntled look when he leaned away.

It was mere seconds after she left that Adrien felt someone else tap his shoulder. Stifling a groan, he turned, letting the air out in relief when he saw it was Marinette. She gave a timid grin - something he hadn't seen in a while - and her face flushed in a way that suggested she'd been doing something energy-consuming.

But aside from that, she was acting normal. Shyly, she took his hand, and offered a breathless, "Want to dance?"

He smiled at her, and ignoring the announcement requesting applause for the birthday girl, placed one hand on her hip. She slid her hand up it to take his shoulder. And they stepped forward and back, a semblance of a waltz forming. Marinette kept glancing down at their feet to ensure she wouldn't step on his, but then would take a quick look at their surroundings. Suspicious, he followed her gaze.

"Did something happen?" Marinette whipped her eyes to him.

"No. Not really." Adrien stopped their movement, skeptical. "Really. I had it handled."

"You had what handled?"

Oops. She hadn't meant for anything to slip. "It really was nothing. Just Bruce."

" _Bruce?_ " He immediately scanned the dancers around them, but found only startled faces as people were forced to sidestep them. He kept watching until he finally saw Bruce's face, flushed with rage. He nodded in the direction, and Marinette cast a quick look over her shoulder. Shivering, she stepped closer to him. He moved deeper into the crowd to lose him, missing the purple glow that lit up his eyes. "What happened with Bruce to make you nervous?"

"It was nothing. He just came up to me and asked to dance." Adrien gave her a pointed look, and she sighed. "He was... A little touchy. When I turned him down he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him and wouldn't let go. I popped him to get away. And then I might have- um, _punched_ him because he grabbed me again."

"That certainly sounds handled." Marinette pouted, unable to tell if he was being sarcastic. But then she saw the twinkle in his eye and the laughter he tried to hide.

"And what's so that funny?"

"You're amazing." They both turned bright red. Silence floated between them until Adrien cleared his throat. "Dance?"

"Yeah."

They both started swaying to the music, rocking back and forth, their cheeks still flushed. It wasn't long before the compliment was behind them, lost in the lively beat of the song that started up. Halfway through the song, they forgot about it altogether. Adrien had his hand on Marinette's hip again, but her arm was flying freely through the air as they hopped back and forth and twirled in innumerable circles. The end of the song drew near, if the crescendo of the band had anything to say about it, so Adrien lifted his arm to spin Marinette underneath it. She slid to a stop, giggling and dizzy, but he continue to move her body, dipping her down toward the floor as the band played its final note. Both were panting heavily, but she still smiled up at him - a bright, radiant, beaming smile that pierced his heart.

He wanted to tell her "You're beautiful." He wanted to fill the air with pretty words, to sing to the heavens of this angel Marinette. He wanted to move on from Ladybug, a person who was just too far ahead, a person he could never catch up to. He wanted to tell _Marinette_ those things and more.

But the minute he opened his mouth, ready to lay his heart bare, a foreign hand lifted Marinette from him. He looked up to see who would be so rude, but found another one of those hands at directly in front of him. He heard Marinette gasp as it covered his face. He scratched at the arm as it lifted him from the ground, and then he was airborne.

He heard Marinette scream his name as his back hit one of the serving tables.

* * *

 **A/N:** **If you follow my tumblr, you'll know I've been very excited about this! I was going to make this chapter last until the aftermath of the akuma battle, but it just got so long, so here it is! It's late, and the 15th episode premieres in like half an hour, so please forgive any mistakes!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Adrien!" Marinette screamed, one hand outstretched as she started after him.

"Oh, _come now,_ Marinette." She was painfully yanked back by a clawed hand around her neck. "He's not part of this dance. It's rude to ignore your partner, you know." She was spun around to face him, to see the boy that sent chills down her spine.

Except it wasn't a boy. It was a monster. She blinked, her mind taking her back to when she was young, cuddling with Alya and Nino while watching Disney movies when they were supposed to be sleeping. She remembered the bright blue clothes of the Beast as he swept Belle across the floor with nothing but soft smiles and gentle gestures, flowing along with the most romantic music of her childhood. But the beast before her now was nothing like the fairy tale prince of her memories. His fur was matted and bunched, with a greasy shine to it. The horns on his head were long and and black, with red burning through cracks and chips. His teeth - oh, how horrible they were! Large, pointed, yellow, it was clear he still had to get used to talking around them. Drool dribbled down his chin, staining his otherwise pristine dress clothes.

Gasping, Marinette tried to get away. But the hands on her arms dug their claws into the backs of them - not enough to puncture skin, but enough to sting.

"What are you doing, Princess? _I'm_ your prince, you know."

"Bruce?"

"My name is Waltzer." He put a hand on her waist, forcing her close to him. She leaned back as far as she could, pushing against his chest. "Let's dance!"

He started to moved back and forth, but stopped once he realized there was nothing to dance to. He glared at the people around them, staring in shock. He then glared at the frozen musicians on stage, and sang a note so melodious it didn't deserve to come from his snarling lips. Screams echoed through the hall as the musicians merged with whatever instruments by they held. By the time they died, large violins and drumsticks and trumpets, as well as everything in between, floated in their place. Waltzer snapped his fingers, and they started playing a fast-paced melody.

With a jovial laugh, Waltzer started to spin them in circles. Marinette watched over her shoulder as more people started doing the same, looking surprised as they found partners and formed a ring. Her eyes met Alya's, who was dancing with Chloé, of all people. Her phone was in her hand, no doubt recording.

"Are you controlling them?" she asked.

"Of course." Waltzer spun her around roughly. "It's the least they could do after doing nothing but gawking at us."

She blinked at him, then stomped her feet, trying to get his toes beneath her heels. Waltzer grunted when she finally hit her target. "You should stop that," he growled, "or you'll break your shoes." She smiled as she hit him again, a smile that turned to a gasp as he dropped his hands to her hips and threw her into the air.

She heard a snap when she landed, and her ankle exploded in pain.

* * *

"Adrien! Dude, wake up!"

"We've got to get out of here, _now_." He felt someone lift his arm. "You get the other side."

Adrien opened his eyes, blinking as the light assaulted them. He waved the people around him off, only to have Nino envelop him in a hug, grateful that he was moving.

"He's awake. But can he run? We don't have time for this." Adrien blinked up at Alix, hovering above them.

"I'm fine, but where's Marinette?" Alix slid her eyes to the dance floor, where rings of people surrounded one couple. Adrien squinted, shocked when he saw her in the middle with a monster.

Even from there he could see how she was limping. She was gripping his shirt with her hands and shaking her head. She stumbled, and was caught by the monster, who threw her into the air screaming.

Marinette was hurt. Marinette was scared.

Adrien was angry.

Adrien pushed Nino and Alix towards the exit doors, pretending to follow after them. He put a hobble in his step, letting them run ahead until they reached the door. Before they could turn around to check on him, he ducked into an alcove to transform.

* * *

Marinette pleaded with Waltzer. She begged. She tried to reason with him. _Surely_ he'd broken her ankle, she couldn't dance like this.

But he wouldn't listen. Instead he gave her a wide, creepy grin and licked his teeth. She thought for a moment he'd lick her, too, and it made her jerk away.

Which made her stumble. And every time she stumbled, he would hurl her up so high she thought she'd break through the ceiling. He'd always "catch" her, claiming he saved her life - despite being the one to endanger it in the first place. It was just a cruel game to him.

It was on the third time he did this that she finally let herself cry. It wasn't that she was particularly scared. No, she faced worse than him on a weekly - and sometimes daily - basis as Ladybug. But everytime he caught her, he jostled her left leg - the one she could already feel swelling up - and gave her his creepy grin.

Okay, so maybe she was a little terrified.

At least the snap she'd heard was the heel of her shoe and _not_ something more important, like her bone.

Or so she hoped.

"This really hurts, Waltzer," She attempted to talk with him once more. "I can't keep going like this. Let me sit down, _please_."

He stared right through her, the grim smile stretching his face. His tongue grazed his teeth, then lingered outside his mouth. Marinette tried to push him away, but twisted her ankle in doing so. Her leg gave out, and she would have fallen backwards if not for the arm that snaked around her waist.

She shook her head frantically as giant hands wrapped around her and tossed her high into the air. She screamed at the apex, just as the momentum died and gravity took over. She closed her eyes as she fell toward his outstretched hands. She felt his fingers graze her when another body slammed into hers, sending them both across the room. A ripping sound reached her ears above the sound of his angry roar, but it was her dress and not her skin. She opened her eyes to a mop of blonde hair and two cats ears poking into her vision.

"Chat Noir!" she gasped, clinging to him. He slid into a landing on the other side of the room, carrying her princess-style. He shot her a reassuring smirk before Waltzer roared in their direction. Chat Noir jumped upward, using one hand to grab the railing of the balcony above them. He flipped them onto the banister and ran along it, heading for the doors.

But Waltzer lunged forward, beating them there. He scraped his claws across the opening as he sang out a deep note that welded the wood into the wall. He then raced to the opposite side of the room, bowling over poor dancers, to seal off all the other exits.

Chat Noir cursed, but hopped to the where the doors once were. Cradling her with his left arm, he lifted the right one. "I can use my Cataclysm to open a hole so that you can escape."

"No!" she exclaimed, lowering his arm. She could hear people pounding on the wall where the door should have been. She wouldn't be able to transform out there, and she couldn't afford the time to get somewhere private while his was running out. Besides, her foot would only let her travel at an excruciatingly slow pace. She needed somewhere close to transform. He hesitated, looking at her in curiosity. "Shouldn't you save it? You only have a few minutes after using it, don't you? And this way, he's trapped in here too."

"But we need to get you somewhere safe."

Her eyes scanned the room. "Up there," she pointed to a nearby balcony. "While he's distracted." Grimacing, he used his baton to vault them over to it. He had just laid her against the wall and brushed his hands across her shoulders when Waltzer gave a menacing roar that echoed off the walls.

"Where is she?" he bellowed. " _Where is my princess?!_ "

Chat Noir's hands tightened on her as he felt a spike of protectiveness. He glared over his shoulder, then turned to her. " _His_ princess? _Please_. Permission to allow your knight to deal with this brute, Princess?"

"Permission granted," she grinned. "Wipe the floor with that fake prince, okay?"

"You got it." With a wink, he set off down the steps. A minute later, he appeared from another balcony, yelling taunts to infuriate the monster, trying to draw him away from her.

Tikki flew out from her purse and landed on Marinette's knee. She looked up at her with her big eyes, worry crinkling her brow. "I don't want you fighting like this. You could hurt yourself more."

"I don't have a choice. Ladybug is needed right now. And isn't Miraculous Ladybug supposed to heal injuries?"

"Yes, I know. Just be careful, ok? Just because you can heal it doesn't mean you should recklessly try to do more than you can."

"Of course. Tikki, spots on!" Letting the magic wash over her always made her heart rate pick up, and with the combination of adrenaline and magic coursing through her, she couldn't even feel the pain of her ankle.

Which was good, because she had to kick Waltzer away from Chat Noir. Her partner was on the floor, face swelling up and blood trickling from his nose.

"My Lady!" he said once they had a moment to discuss strategy. "I was just about to call you!"

"I was in the area," she shrugged.

"But this place has been sealed. I was sure I'd have to use Cataclysm to let you in."

Oh. "There's a few skylights," she fibbed. "I used one of them." Thankfully the ceiling was too high for anyone to see the nonexistent windows. (It was too dark, too, but he had night vision so that didn't really help.)

His eyes flicked upwards for a second, then returned to her. Tenderly, she shifted her weight to her left leg, skimming the crowd. "Right," he said, doing the same. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

The lucky charm - a pair of pointe shoes used for ballet - was very effective in tripping Waltzer. Chat Noir skidded past him, snatching the corsage on his lapel and passed it to Ladybug, who tore the petals with a little more force than necessary.

"Come out, nasty akuma," she started as it formed from the remnants of the flowers. She swung her yoyo as it started flapping its wings. "I free you from evil!" Her yoyo captured the butterfly, and she let it go with a wave of her fingers. "Bye bye, little butterfly." Finally, the battle was over. Her ankle was throbbing.

"Here you are, My Lady." Chat Noir had graciously retrieved the shoes, which she took with relief.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she called out as they went sailing towards the sky. Sparkles filled the air, hovering around the doors and twisting around guests. They even swept across her, healing her injuries and fixing her dress, despite the fact that it was in another dimension at the moment. She turned to go at the beep of her Miraculous.

"Are you okay, Ladybug?"

"What?" She stumbled to look back at Chat Noir.

"You seemed kind of... _Off_ tonight. Is everything alright?"

Of course he would notice. "I'm fine. Just a bit distracted."

"Do I look that good, My Lady?" He flexed. She winked at him with a giggle, then shot off to lose him in the ceiling.

But not before she noticed the blush that spread across his cheeks.

She had only just settled in, legs tucked beneath her dress, when she heard footsteps rushing up the steps. In seconds, Alya was at her side.

"Marinette! Are you okay?" She frantically ran her fingers over her head and arms, searching for some injury.  
"I'm fine, Alya, I'm okay." Marinette grabbed her hands, and Alya pulled her to her feet. But the moment she put her weight down on her left leg, she stumbled at a sudden pain. Grasping Alya's arm, she steadied herself.

"Marinette!" Holding her shoulders, she studied Marinette's feet. "What is _that_?"

Marinette looked down. The skin around her ankle was purple and swollen, a bruise that continued to crawl down her foot. She winced at the sight of it. "I didn't know bruises worked that fast."

"It must be from when he forced you to dance. Come on," Alya said as she placed Marinette's arm around her shoulders. "Maybe there's a doctor or nurse downstairs." She glanced at the bruise once more before helping Marinette to the staircase.

Adrien and Nino met them halfway down it.

"Alya! Marinette! You're ok!" Nino's voice sounded relieved, and Adrien's smile reflected it.

"Not quite," Alya grimaced as she nodded to Marinette's foot.

Marinette heard Adrien's intake of air. He bent down and studied her ankle, holding out his hands as if he wanted to touch it. Marinette held it out for him, and he took it gingerly, prodding at the most swollen part and sweeping along the bruise. He sighed and stood back up.

"It's bad, but not broken. I don't think it is, anyway. Can you make it all the way down?"

"I think so. Alya helped me come this far."

"Here, I'll carry you." He turned around and looked over his shoulder expectantly.

"Oh! No, I'm fine. Alya can-"

"I insist. This is partly my fault, after all." Marinette thought back to when Bruce saw them dancing together. The rage on his face burned into her mind, and she knew Adrien must be feeling guilty. With the help of Alya and the offset of the stairs, she managed to climb onto his back. He hooked his hands beneath her knees and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The four friends continued down the stairs, peeking at Marinette's ankle as they went. When they reached the bottom, they hesitated, unsure of who in the room could help. Finally, they decided to send Alya and Nino into the recovering crowd to find someone, leaving Marinette and Adrien by the buffet. Most of the tables were taken, but they found one near the center. Adrien set Marinette in a chair and stood, watching for when Nino or Alya would return. His eyes slid over the room, amazed at how the guests continued to party despite the attack that had just happened.

"Do you need anything?" he asked as he focused on Marinette. She had her foot resting on another chair as she poked at it.

"Maybe some ice."

"I'll be right back, then." He walked around her to the serving table. As he walked back, he noticed red splotches on the back of her upper arms. He sat in the same chair she was propping her foot on and put it in his lap, wrapping a napkin around the ice before pressing it on the bruise. "What happened to your arms?"

"My arms?" She twisted them, trying to see what he meant. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand, guiding it to the spot he noticed. She felt dents in her skin, and immediately knew what they were. "It's from when Bruce - er, _Waltzer_ \- first appeared," she started, rubbing the area before putting her hand in her lap. "Remember? He pushed you away and grabbed me there. It hurt when he did it." Adrien squeezed her hand and with a start she realized he had never let go of it in the first place. She hoped he didn't notice the way her face flushed.

"I'm sorry. I should've done something to protect you better. I wish I could have."

"It's fine, Adrien! Promise. It's not your fault Bruce went on a rampage. It was his own petty jealousy. I'm just glad Chat Noir showed up when he did. I was... Really scared." She shuddered as she revisited the memory of flying through the air with nothing but a fickle-minded akuma to catch her.

"Ladybug had to save him, though." Dejected, he looked to the floor, and this time, Marinette squeezed his hand. He met her eye, and she opened her mouth to comfort him when he gasped. "Wait a minute, didn't he tear your dress when Chat Noir saved you?"

"I- yes, one of the sleeves was almost ripped off." She glanced at them, but they were both in their proper place, looking as if she'd just sewn them on. She frowned, wondering how he could have known that, but was interrupted before she could even ask.

"I found someone!" Alya shouted as she ran up. Nino was right behind her, and following them both was a tight-looking woman in red. "This is Dr. Martel. She's my family's doctor, actually. She agreed to-" she cut herself off at Adrien's stricken expression. "What wrong, Adrien?"

He moved to let Dr. Martel sit and examine Marinette. "Miraculous Ladybug - the spell Ladybug uses to clean everything up - it didn't work on Marinette."

Marinette gasped softly, staring at her foot. That hadn't even occurred to her.

"What- I- you're right." Alya muttered. "Why?"

"Maybe she didn't use it this time," Nino reasoned.

"I know she did it. I have it on film." Alya tapped her phone screen a few times and played the end of the video. Ladybug threw the spotted slippers up and they disappeared in a bright flash.

"Maybe it doesn't work on humans."

"It works on them, all right," Dr. Martel spoke up. "It works miracles, even on people who haven't been akuma victims. I've even seen it bring people back to life - although those people were killed as a result of an attack."

"It's _that_ powerful?" whispered Marinette.

"Sometimes. When she puts her mind to it." Martel put Marinette's foot down and removed the scarf she was wearing to bind Marinette's ankle. She winced at how tight it was, and Martel _tutted_ at her. "I want you to go get it x-rayed tomorrow. It seems to be just a severe sprain, but you should see your own doctor about it for a second opinion. They can give you a better diagnosis and teach you how to treat it properly, as well as give you crutches and painkillers if necessary. Until then, don't put any weight on it and keep it iced. Can you do that?"

"Yes ma'am. Thank you." Martel stood to leave. "Oh! Wait! What about your scarf?"

"Keep it for now. Alya can return it to me at her check-up in two weeks." With a soft smile, she left.

Alya and Nino sat at the table with Marinette while Adrien stood behind her with his hands on her chair. She could sense the worry coming off all of them. She figured they felt it from her, too.

"So Ladybug's magic didn't work on me. What does that mean?" Adrien's fingers tightened behind her.

"It means you need to stay away from akuma," he answered. "That spell is supposed to fix anything destroyed, damaged, or _hurt_ by one. It can apparently bring people back from the dead, too. But the fact that it didn't work... You need to be extra careful, in case you're immune to it." He glanced at Alya. "That goes for you-"

"Oh my god! Listen to this!" She interrupted him and held put her phone. "He was singing about Marinette!"

Adrien, Nino, and Marinette crowded around the phone, listening carefully to pick the sound of the video from the music around them. Waltzer hummed a playful tune as he swung Marinette around. The hum turned to lyrics, beautiful despite his beastly mouth. Marinette hadn't noticed them before, when she was right in front of him, but now they made her blood go cold in her veins and her face pale.

"Pretty Marinette, with her brittle bones! / She dances the dance of Death!"

* * *

 **A/N: I feel like this chapter is really... lacking something? That it's not as good as it could be? I don't know :/**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is a little shorter than the others, I hope you don't mind! It's just general filler tbh, just me trying to get to the next chapter. So I hope you don't mind a few (ooc) headcanons about the class and two cheesy puns.**

* * *

Her ankle wasn't broken.

She was eternally grateful for that. But she would still need crutches to get around, and she could only pray that Papillon decided to take some time off while she was healing. Ladybug would be out of commission for a while.

This was all Marinette could think about as she hobbled up to the second floor of her school the next Monday. Sure, it wasn't wise for her to be distracted while tackling a staircase on crutches. But she couldn't help it. Just like she couldn't help the flow of students that were rushing up the stairs around her. She forgave them whenever they bumped her, because they usually did offer an apology. She just wished they weren't so rough in the first place. It's not like they were running late - oh wait, there went the tardy bell.

Marinette sighed at the newfound peace as teachers entered classes and shut doors. When she made it to her class, she peeked into the window, finding Miss Bustier's attention turned to the board. She snuck in, slowed by the burden of her crutches.

Of course she attracted the attention of her classmates.

Now, Marinette wouldn't change any of her classmates for the world. (Well, almost. Chloé _really_ needed to chill.) But for once she wished Alix didn't have a special interest in all things painful, bloody, and gory. The first thing she did when the class was released for lunch was give a low whistle.

"What happened there, Mari? Looks bad." She raised an eyebrow as she sat on Marinette's table. "Skating accident?"

"No. It's from the party," she replied, grabbing her bag from the floor. She pulled her lunch out of it.

"How badly do you have to dance to hurt yourself _that_ bad?"

"It's actually from when Bruce attacked me."

"The akuma?" Alix's teasing tone faded, giving way to concern. It made Marinette pause.

"Wait, isn't Ladybug supposed to fix stuff like that?" Kim asked, his face pale. Marinette shifted her eyes to him, recalling the way he hated seeing injuries as much as Alix loved to.

"Well, uh-"

"She's supposed to, yeah," Alya answered for her. She rubbed Marinette's hair.

"So for some reason it didn't work on the class mom, huh?" Alix said nonchalantly.

"'Class mom'?" Marinette sputtered. She heard a snicker from in front of her and looked around Alix to Adrien and Nino.

"You have to admit, that sounds like you." Nino chuckled. Adrien laughed with him, and Marinette's cheeks flushed.

"Does- does everyone think that? That I'm the class mom?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Rose giggled as she walked by.

"With that kind of _mom_ entum, all of Paris will want to be s _mother_ ed by her love." Adrien smiled at the groans he elicited.

"And that's why you're the class dad," Alix said as she rolled her eyes.

"Wait, what?"

" _Please_ , dude." Nino started. "You make the _worst_ jokes and puns. Only a middle-aged father of three would find them any fun."

Adrien pouted, grumbling. "They're funny."

"Sure they are." Alix slid off Marinette's desk and walked out the door, laughing the whole way.

* * *

After one lonely hour, people started trickling into the classroom. Marinette greeted them all as they came in, but jumped when Alix slammed a paper down on her table. She glanced between her hand and her face.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Your schedule. We've been talking." Alix answered, as if that was enough.

"'We' as in...?"

"We-" she gestured to the rest of the room "-have been talking about that." She pointed to Marinette's ankle. "Alya sent me pics, and it's pretty nasty. Since Ladybug's magic doesn't work on you, you can't be near akuma. This-" she tapped her fingers on the paper "-is a list of a few of the more athletic people in class, all assigned to get you out of danger should one attack. They have all been appointed an hour or two to watch you when you'd otherwise be alone."

Marinette's jaw dropped. " _What?!_ " she squeaked. "No! I don't need to- I don't need this!"

"Well, you have it. Your own bodyguards." Alix left, throwing "This is non-negotiable!" over her shoulder.

Marinette was just beginning to skim the paper when Alya walked through the door.

"This is too much!" She held up the paper and wiggled it.

"I think it's a good idea."

"You guys can't just drop what you're doing just for me! You're just being overprotective!"

"Marinette." Alya took her hands, serious. "You're my best friend. Of course I want to protect you. I'm just looking out for you. Besides, everyone agreed to do it. It's not like we forced them."

"But-"

"No buts!"

Marinette crossed her arms and pouted, turning to glare at the people listed as her guardians. _Kim, Ivan, Juleka, Alix, Adrien, Alya, Nino- wait a minute._ She blinked, rereading the paper. She rubbed her eyes, thinking they might be playing tricks on her.

Adrien. Adrien was on the list.

"Y-y-you do can't this!" she said when she saw him. "I-I mean, you can't do this!"

Adrien blinked, surprised at her outburst. Then he noticed her schedule. "Yes, I can." He settled into his seat.

"But your schedule-!"

"Yo, no one wants anything to happen to the class parents, dude." Nino sat beside Adrien, who blushed at his remark.

"I told you to stop calling us that," he whispered.

"Why? You guys- _oof!_ " He stopped when Adrien elbowed him.

Marinette blinked but shrugged her confusion away. She still had to stop this whole 'guard' business. It was ridiculous. Besides, it's not like there were going to be many more akuma that targeted her. Sure, the thing with Max was her fault, but she liked to think she'd learned from it. And Bruce was just a greedy, selfish boy who thought the world owed him everything.

Looking at the schedule once more, she saw it was mostly just people to walk her home in the evening and to school in the morning. With a start, she realized Adrien was to stay with her during lunch for the next month. She twirled to glare at Alix, gesturing to the lunch section and mouthing, 'Why Adrien?'

Alix snickered and flicked her eyes to Alya. Of course.

"Why Adrien?" she whispered. "You guys have him down for _every_ lunch period, even after it should be healed."

Alya gave her a sly smirk that betrayed her intentions exactly. "It's the only time he's available," she told her with a shrug.

"Alya Cèsaire, I know what you're doing." Her tone was angry, but it was clear she was fighting a smile. She finally gave in and threw her arms around Alya. "Thank you!" she said, giggling.

* * *

Marinette was dizzy.

She tried to shake it away, but that made it worse. She tried to sleep it off, but it wouldn't leave. Two straight days of this, and you'd think she'd mention it to someone, but she didn't want to bother anyone with what was just a cold.

But still, her head swam. Which wasn't good considering the akuma she was facing. At least it was only the second one since she sprained her ankle, and her ankle was almost better.

 _Almost_ being the key word. She managed to cleanse the akuma with Chat Noir's help, but it was obvious she was still bothered by her injury. He may not know exactly what was going on, but he _was_ intuitive. ("Are you okay, My Lady?" "I'm fine. I think I'm getting sick though.")

He did ask her about why she hadn't healed Marinette, but she had no answer. She herself was confused and-

And she really needed to get back to where her friends were before they started panicking. Marinette rushed her goodbye, running off to return to the place where Nino had hidden her - a cluster of bushes just beside the steps to the school.

She had just picked up her school bag when Alya poked her head through the leaves and smiled. "She's here," she called out behind her. Taking her arm, she pulled them to the front of the school, where a winded Adrien and Nino were sitting on the steps.

"You know, I don't need my crutches anymore," Marinette told them. "It's all better. Well, almost." There was that word again. And Alya brought it up.

" _Almost_ is the point," she said. "Don't think I didn't notice your limping."

Marinette groaned. She thought she'd been able to hide it. Her friend was just too observant sometimes. Speaking of her friend...

"So tell me about what Ladybug and Chat Noir did against the akuma."

Alya's eyes sparkled. She'd been waiting for that. She started her spiel ("They were amazing! You should've seen it! Absolutely fantastic!")

She walked ahead with Adrien, both of them gushing, engrossed in conversation about their love of Ladybug. Nino and Marinette lagged behind, Marinette grateful for the slow pace Nino went for her. Her ankle didn't bother her much, really it didn't, but coupled with the astonishing dizziness that continued to grow and consume her, it made her feel weak.

As weak as her voice when she felt it overpower her.

"Hey, Nino?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"I think I'm-" She didn't finish, and Nino looked over to see that she was falling. Swearing, he lunged to catch her.

"Marinette? Marinette!" His hands flitted across her face, pausing here and there to check for any sign of fever.

Adrien and Alya stopped at his frantic shouts. Turning, they raced back to where she'd passed out on the sidewalk. They had only just reached her when a car barreled into the store they were standing in front of before they ran back. Glass shattered everywhere, raining down on all four of them. The car - once nice, silver, and probably very _expensive_ \- was crumpled, the driver slumped over in their seat. A baby cried from the back of it, and Adrien whipped out his cell phone to call for help.

He also spared a moment to think about how he and Alya could have been crushed, but in a split second the thought was gone, replaced by concern for Marinette.

Her face was pale, her eyelids flickering. Her head lolled back when Nino lifted her, and her mouth was moving - muttering something unheard to the rest of the world. She whimpered a few times and then her breathing evened, and she was asleep.

When the emergency vehicles pulled up, the paramedics helped the people in the car - although one did walk over to check on them. After a quick explanation from Alya, he examined Marinette - who woke up as he finished. He asked her a few questions, and she admitted to her dizziness.

"And how are you feeling now?" he asked.

"Fine. I don't feel it anymore."

"And you say you have a rather busy schedule?" She nodded. "Then you may be over exerting yourself. Take it easy for the next few days, rest a little."

"Yes, sir." He left, and Nino helped Marinette stand up. Alya wrapped her in a strong-armed embrace while Nino and Adrien watched.

"Don't you _dare_ pull that on me again, you hear?" Alya demanded. "Let _someone_ know when that happens again!"

"It's just a cold, Alya. Don't worry about it." She smiled, but none of them felt relief.

* * *

 **A/N 2: Question: Would you guys prefer I use Hawkmoth or Papillon? (Personally, I prefer Papillon, but with the English version being Hawkmoth, I feel like it's more popular. What do you guys think?**


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